Larry Allen, a legend of the Dallas Cowboys, passed away on Sunday at the age of 52. He was on a family vacation in Mexico at the time. The cause of death is yet to be disclosed ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Allen in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft from Sonoma State in California. Allen demonstrated his incredible combination of size and strength to the world right away.
But it was probably his speed that got him noticed in the NFL early on. During a Monday Night Football game in New Orleans in 1994, Allen, a rookie at the time, chased down Saints linebacker Darion Conner after an interception and tackled him from behind to prevent a touchdown. The MNF commentators, Frank Gifford, Al Michaels and Dan Dierdorf, were shocked by Allen’s speed and agility for his size.
But it was mostly Allen’s strength that stood out. Allen was renowned for bench-pressing over 700 pounds during the early 2000s’ off-season.
By his raw power, Allen dominated his rivals. He was also rather flexible. He demonstrated his flexibility early in his career when he changed from guard to tackle.
After receiving three Pro Bowl selections from 1995 to 1997 at guard, Allen switched to tackle for the 1998 campaign and also received Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades that year. He eventually returned to guard, where he is arguably the greatest to have ever played the position.